How do you react when things don’t go your way? Do you, like me, get frustrated and angry, or do you accept the situation and look for the silver lining? In his book Think Like A Monk, Jay Shetty offers a different perspective on how to deal with challenges and setbacks. 

“Don’t judge the moment. As soon as you label something as bad, your mind starts to believe it. 

Instead, be grateful for setbacks. Allow the journey of life to progress at its own pace 

and in its own roundabout way. The universe may have other plans in store for you.” 

Jay Shetty

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MyWord | My Year Project Update 

Thanks for participating in the 18th Annual My Word | My Year Project.
It was great to see so many of you thoughtfully choose a word to focus on 

for the new year. Regardless of the joy or challenges 2024 brings, 

I hope your words provide inspiration and purpose this year.
Here's to a reflective, meaningful year guided by our words!

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This week's Care Package 

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.)

Meditation of the Week: 10 Min to Clear Your Mind & Start New Positive Habits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTN29kj7e-w&t=7s

A Self-Reflection Question for Introspection: 

Am I using my time wisely?

Rock n Roll Homeroom Song of the Week

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbwn21TU4ec

Article: How Gratitude makes you Happier
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-gratitude-makes-you-happier-5114446

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Wishing you a most beautiful day wherever this may find you!

Remember: The universe may have other plans in store for you.

 Have you ever faced a challenge that seemed impossible to overcome? How did you deal with it? 

Michael Caine, the esteemed actor, came up with a 3 word philosophy to help him overcome challenges. Click on the link to hear the origins of this inspiring philosophy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXSVqg1KCbw

 

"Use the Difficulty." 

Michael Caine

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MyWord/My Year Project ~ Last Call

If you would like to participate in this 18 year old tradition, please email me your Word(s) for the Year so you can receive a Desktop Wallpaper/Poster with your word prominently displayed! 

BTW, my word for 2024 is ATTENTION. As in what you pay Attention to expands! Here are the words chosen so far...

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This week's Care Package 

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.)

Meditation of the Week ~ Strength & Grounding In Stressful Times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0GtmPnqAd8

Self Reflective Question of the Week

To what degree have I actually controlled the course of my life?

Rock n Roll Homeroom Song of the Week ~ From Italy

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1YXb83C5vhk

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Wishing you a most beautiful day wherever this may find you!

Remember: You can turn adversity into a catalyst for personal development and success.

 Welcome to Quote of the Week - Wisdom tailored for you! 

What could you gain by turning inward to know yourself more deeply?

This week we explore the path to true wisdom and power as pondered by ancient philosophers, Lao Tzu and Aristotle. They both emphasize self-understanding as the key to personal growth, guiding wise choices for fulfillment and positive impact. 

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” 

Aristotle

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. 

Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

Lao Tzu

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It's NOT too late to participate in the 18th Annual "MyWord/MyYear" Project!

Have you chosen that one word that will sum up who you want to BE or how you want to live in 2024?   Please email me your Word(s) for the Year so you can receive a Desktop Wallpaper/Poster with your word prominently displayed!

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This week's Care Package 

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.)

Meditation of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPC_36ZHOjo

Question of the Week: (A question to know yourself better)

What is a favorite childhood memory that still brings me joy?

Rock n Roll Homeroom: Positive January Jazz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9-ntppdXtE

Inspiring Video of the Week: Kindness 101: A lesson in thankfulness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1cugZ3d1Zo&list=PL-sQEoTC-Nw_BdOTODbsQr2L2xZlVrX7n&index=9

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Wishing you a most BEAUTIFUL day wherever this may find you!

Remember: The path is always open for wisdom!

 Happy New Year and welcome to the first quote of 2024! This week's simple but profound quote is about humility, which is one of the most admired and respected virtues in the world.   This quote is worth remembering and practicing, because humility can foster gratitude, generosity, and compassion for others.   

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, 

it’s thinking of yourself less."

C. S. Lewis

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About the One Word: One Year Project...

As we embark on this new year, it's a moment for reflection: What will be the guiding force or motto shaping your path in the next 365 days? The One Word: One Year Project invites you to distill your hopes and ambitions into a single word or a concise phrase that captures the essence and focus you envision for 2024.

Originating as a Quote of the Week Project in 2008, this tradition fosters introspection and intentional planning for the year ahead. Your chosen word(s) should act as a guiding light, steering your actions and decisions throughout the coming year. The aim is to shift the focus from a mere checklist of tasks to contemplating the person you aspire "TO BE."

To refine your choice, consider pondering these questions:

• What emotions do I aim to experience in the upcoming year?
• What kinds of experiences do I hope to encounter?
• What results, impacts, or transformations am I seeking?

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This week's Care Package 

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.)

Interesting Article: Resolutions for a Life Worth Living: Attainable Aspirations Inspired by Great Humans of the Past
https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/01/01/resolutions-for-living/?mc_cid=630fec02d1&mc_eid=d6fefa8718

Meditation of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5r3XDgtE9w

Need to declutter? 

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/pile-method-for-decluttering-37354852?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Looking for a list of ideas about how the world works?

https://collabfund.com/blog/100-little-ideas/

Rock n Roll Homeroom; Classic Early 1970s AM Radio Rock
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg7Ayzqfe9E

Short Video: Kindness 101 with Steve Hartman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6q-n0Ys5to

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Wishing you a most beautiful year wherever this may find you!

 The new year is approaching fast. How do you feel about it? This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past and plan for the future. To motivate you for the upcoming year, we have a quote from Harry Soosaar that captures the essence of renewal and growth.

“We do not leave the past behind as the year ends. We carry it with us, enriched by the lessons we have learned. A new year does not create miracles, but it offers us a fresh start, with new hope and possibilities.”

Harry Soosaar

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This week's Care Package 

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.)

A Guided Meditation for New Beginnings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYbXfL34o5Q

Article: 35 New Year Affirmations For Hope & Possibilities

https://zannakeithley.com/new-year-affirmations/

Rock n Roll Homeroom Playlist: Fresh Start Songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNTC7uZYrI&t=21s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_rB4v75jqU&t=7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENIpBp1YQhY&t=6s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQetemT1sWc&t=2s

Need a reminder of having an attitude of Gratitude?

Check out Steve Hartman's A year to remember video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utySAe7mdwc

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Wishing you a most beautiful day and new year wherever this may find you!

Here's to endless possibilities and hope!

 Can a Train Conductor inspire us to believe in the magic of Christmas? That is what The Conductor from The Polar Express does with his memorable quote. It encourages the idea that the true spirit of the Christmas season is not only found in the visible and tangible aspects of gifts and decorations but also in the intangible qualities of belief, joy, and love.

“Seeing is believing,

but sometimes the most real things in the world 

are the things we can’t see.”

The Conductor, The Polar Express

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This week's Care Package

Meditation of the Week:
A 20-Minute Holiday Meditation for Presence, Love and Light
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMTLrmHKjKA

Article: Seven Ways to Cope with Holiday Stress
https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/seven-ways-to-cope-with-holiday-stress

Inspiring Story: On the Road: Hope for the holidays

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VumKim-tWIk

Rock n Roll Homeroom; Christmas Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3o_AKdw8jY

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"Haid joule ja head uut aastat"; "God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År" ; "Buone Feste Natalizie" ; "Feliz Navidad" ; "Nollaig Shona Dhuit" ; "Joyeux Noël"; "Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan" ; "Saint Dan Fai Lok" ; "Froehliche Weihnachten" ; "Kala Christouyenna" ; "Een Plesierige Kerfees"; "I'd Miilad Said Oua Sana Saida" ; "Merry Christmas" ; "Happy Hanukkah" ; Happy Holidays 

Remember to trust in your abilities and potential, 

and use your creativity and imagination to 

achieve your goals and dreams.

 Welcome to the Quote of the Week ~ Your weekly dose of positivity!

Can a creature with a soul resembling an overwhelming dump-heap, teach us the values of sharing, giving to others, inspiring positive change, fostering tolerance and compassion, and revealing the true spirit of Christmas? The Grinch, with his insightful perspective, proves that indeed, he can!

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"Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. 

Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" 

Theodor Seuss Geisel, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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This week's Care Package

Meditation of the Week
You Are Life Itself — Guided Meditation with Mooji
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vMEoPgg-PE&t=531s

Rock n Roll Homeroom Christmas Playlist
Vintage Christmas music by a cozy fireplace; Thanks to  Nemo's Dreamscapes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dYGFY0hLrc

Article: 12 Important Lessons from 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' for Twenty Somethings

http://www.whenlifegivesyourubi.com/2015/12/12-important-lessons-from-how-grinch-stole-christmas-for-twenty-somethings.html

Inspiring Christmas Commercial: A Holiday to Remember | Chevrolet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnZGEUA4oBk

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Wishing you a most beautiful day wherever this may find you!

Remember this Holiday Season to Focus on Joy! 

 "Go Straight to the Good in Everything " is a short phrase that summarizes the main idea of this week's quote by Baltasar Gracián and can serve as a motivating motto, uplifting slogan, or calming mantra. As we approach the occasionally overwhelming holiday season, keep both the inspirational quote and the empowering phrase in mind. They can serve as reminders to prioritize the positive and overlook the negative and cultivate a mindset that can enhance our ability to appreciate and celebrate the upcoming holiday season.

 Go Straight to the Good in Everything

 "It is the happy lot of those with good taste. The bee goes straight for the sweetness, and the viper for the bitterness it needs for its poison. So with tastes: some go for the best, others for the worst. There is nothing that doesn't have some good, especially books, where good is imagined. Some people's temperaments are so unfortunate that among a thousand perfections they will find a single defect and censure it and blow it all out of proportion. They are the garbage collectors of the will and the intellect, burdened down with blemishes and defects: punishment for their poor discernment rather than proof of their subtlety. They are unhappy, for they batten on bitterness and graze on imperfections. Others have a happier sort of taste: among a thousand defects they discover some perfection that good luck happens to drop."

Baltasar Gracian

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This week's Care Package 

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.)

Meditation of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19PdslW7iw

Article: Give yourself the perfect gift: Trim your holiday stress

https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2023/nov-holiday-stress-news-tip.html

Need a half hour of INSPIRATION? Check out these short stories 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcVukrsP7Hg

Rock n Roll Homeroom; Vintage Winter Oldies

Thanks to Nemo's Dreamscapes;  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbyq_OyEQdI&t=25s

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Wishing you a most beautiful day wherever this may find you!

Just like bees seeking sweetness, focus on the positives. 

Let this quote inspire you to celebrate perfections amidst

imperfections during this joyous time.

 Hello & Welcome to the Quote of the Week!  The holidays and the new year can be stressful and overwhelming for some. Perhaps this double-recycled quote/question by Debbie Ford will inspire you to face the holidays and the new year with confidence and optimism.

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"If you were going to make this the best holiday season ever, how would you do it?  

It won't happen for most people, because most people won't have that as their #1 intention.  

And it's unlikely that you'll have the life-changing holidays that you could have 

if you don't create a powerful intent."  Debbie Ford

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This week's Care Package 

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.)

Meditation of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPC_36ZHOjo

Question of the Week: (A question to know yourself better):

When was the last time you felt “lit up”?

Song of the Week to get started on your day!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE&list=PLuL06rdUJ5cjuU9FtDHZ50Foixim9EzoJ

Inspiring Video of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aycd3bVRmcU

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Wishing you a most BEAUTIFUL day wherever this may find you!

“The most wonderful time of the year is also the most stressful time of the year.

But don’t let that stop you from enjoying the magic and the joy of the season. 

Remember to breathe, relax, and be grateful for what you have.”

Robert Ignatius

In the U.S., Thursday marks Thanksgiving, our annual holiday focused on thankfulness and gratitude for life's blessings, big and small. In this season of giving thanks, Melody Beattie's words serve as a poignant reminder of the profound impact gratitude can have on our lives.  

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. 

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. 

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend." 

Melody Beattie

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This Week's Care Package

(Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, 

and other nutrients for these challenging times...)

Inspiring Video of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmQczPAz5Os

Question of the Week

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?

Meditation of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1R8VRV7dhY

Do you know the 8 Factors of Happiness? Check out this poster!

“8 Factors of Happiness”

Rock n Roll Homeroom Song of this Thanksgiving Week 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptkWYhX79N8

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Wishing you a most beautiful Thanksgiving wherever this may find you!

 In a world that can often feel cold and uncaring, could simple acts of kindness have an impact greater than we imagine?  This question highlights the core message of this week's quote - that kindness is never wasted, no matter how small the gesture.   

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." 

Aesop

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This Week's Care Package  (Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, 

and other nutrients for these challenging times...)

Meditation of the Week: Self Love, Inner Wisdom & Compassion

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPC_36ZHOjo&t=315s

Question of the Week

• Am I holding on to something I need to let go of?

Were you a fan of The Whole Earth Catalogue as I was?  

Check out....  https://wholeearth.info/

Inspiring Video Short of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-MOjv02UM4

Song of the Week: A Rolling Stone Classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGyOaCXr8Lw

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Wishing you a most beautiful day wherever this may find you!  

 Welcome to the Quote of the Week! . Your presence, exactly as is at this very moment, is greatly appreciated! 

Ever found yourself pondering the paradox of life—where looking back grants understanding, yet living lies in forging ahead?  (I've been doing that a lot lately!)  Kierkegaard had a thought or two on that. 

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“Life can only be understood backward, 

but it must be lived forwards.” 

Søren Kierkegaard

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This Week's Care Package

Articles, videos, podcasts, thought provokers, and other nutrients for these challenging times.

Article: You Can Only Maintain So Many Close Friendships

Robin Dunbar Explains Humans' Circles of Friendship - The Atlantic

Interesting Website: Get ready to witness the extraordinary event in 2024

https://theeclipse.company/

Question of the Week (A question to know yourself better): 

If not now, then when?

Rock n Roll Homeroom Pump it Up Song of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC5PL0XImjw

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Wishing you a most beautiful day wherever this may find you!